Most of us love fruit because it is such a delicious way of not only satisfying our hunger but also our thirst. Apart from that, fruit meets plenty of our nutritional needs.
When a person suffers from certain illnesses, you often hear doctors or people advising – ‘remember to eat more fruit!’
Often people with diabetes wonder if it is safe for them to eat fruit, seeing as most fruits contain sugar. And seeing as diabetes is a chronic condition, even though manageable, the body still struggles to control sugar levels.
There are fruits that are suggested you leave out if you have diabetes, that’s why we are going to give you 10 that you can enjoy if you are diabetic.
ADA or The American Diabetes Association says that for those who have diabetes, it is fine to eat fruit; just as long as you are not allergic to any fruit types.
In 2014, the British Medical Journal published a piece suggesting that when you increase your fruit intake, you stand the chance of lowering your risk of type 2 diabetes! That sounds good news from Nature herself!
Avoid the canned, processed stuff
Here are a lot of fruits divided up by the GI index as reported from the US Department of Agriculture:
Low GI fruits
Medium-GI fruits
High-GI fruits
Fruits are great, too, because they satisfy the sweet tooth without resorting to eating candies and other foods which have low nutritional value. Most fruits have a high percentage of nutrients in them and they are also low in fat and sodium.
Most guidelines recommend that you should eat about five servings of fruits and vegetables every day and this does not change for those who have diabetes. The United States guidelines recommend that people fill half of their plate at each meal with fruits and vegetables.
Those with diabetes should focus on eating non-starchy vegetables for 50% of their meal, rather than just depending on the fruit. The other half of the meal should be protein and starches with high-fiber content like beans or whole grains.
Experts also recommend that you include healthy fat at every meal to encourage feeling full and to enhance the absorption of antioxidants and vitamins.
How then do you pick the best fruit for diabetes?
There are some forms of fruit, like juice, which can be bad for diabetes, but whole fruits like berries, citrus, apricots, and apples are good for your health, helping to fight inflammation and normalizing your blood pressure, besides much more.
But if you are someone on a diabetic diet, then you need to be smart when you count your carbohydrates and track what you eat. That makes portion sizes key.
Your fruit should be eaten in its natural, whole form. If you are using the glycemic index (GI) or glycemic load (GL), the whole fruits are a good choice because they tend to lie low on these rankings.
Look at what Dr. Axe says about GI and GL, fruit, and vegetables for diabetics:
1-3 Strawberries, Blackberries, Blueberries
These are diabetes superfoods, packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber.
4. Cherries
Fights inflammation; a smart choice for the diabetic. Just one cup consists of 78 calories. Cherries can be purchased canned, fresh, dried or frozen, but make sure of the label ingredients because many of the dried and canned fruits contain a lot of sugar, which can easily spike your blood sugar levels.
5. Peaches
Peaches will boost your metabolism with their potassium boosting properties. Known for its wonderful fragrance, the peach is a diabetes-friendly fruit, containing plenty of vitamins A and C, fiber, potassium.
6. Apricots
Apricots have heaps of scrumptious fiber, ideal for the diabetic diet. Just one apricot has 17 calories. Four fresh apricots are equivalent to one serving, providing you with more than 50% of your vitamin A requirements, let alone all the necessary fiber.
7. Apples
Apples supply plenty of fiber and vitamin C. We all know that an apple a day pretty much keeps the doctor away! Toss an apple in your bag for your daily snack. Don’t peel your apple, because the skin is packed with antioxidants and nutrients.
8. Oranges
Oranges offer an abundance of vitamin C. Eat it and you’ve eaten all your vitamin C for the day. An ideal low GI choice, offering potassium and folate as well, all which helps to normalize blood pressure. Grapefruit is a relative of the orange which is also a great choice.
9. Pears
Pears offer fiber and vitamin K, ideal for a diabetic diet. A real tasty treat is to slice up some pear and add it to you next spinach salad. You will love it!
10. Grapes
Many scientists think there is really something unique about the grape, and research shows that people who ate more grapes had 12% less chance of developing type 2 diabetes than those who ate less. Maybe it’s the polyphenols in grapes, which have been shown to show top positive results on blood sugar.
Relish in the top 10 fruits for diabetes conditions. You will find that you love fruits berry much when it comes to taking care of your diabetes - with the right fruits, you can really turnip the beet!
